The Unknown Riddle
by michiei
Summary: There's a girl with the last name Riddle. Is it coincidence? Is she really related to Voldemort? Draco Malfoy was assigned to take care of her, and learns her horrid past and why she's the way she is.
1. Coincidence

She had dark red hair with silky soft curls, green eyes that within held so much pain and hate, but fear as well. She looked up the rain washing mud away from her beautiful face, those eyes widened.

"Where the hell are you, you litte bitch!"

A small sad, yet bitter smile caressed her red lips, she very quickly got up, noticing...them staring with annoyance and disgust all across their faces, about four of them.

"There you are!"

Green eyes met steely cold blue, then she wipped around, mud spraying, hair raising then falling in a beautiful circle, tasingly, inviting.

"Hmmhm. It looks you've met my associates." he said taking a step forward, she took one back.

"Peters, what the hell are you doing!" a voice behind her said, a voice so cold with hate.

"Teaching my little vixen a little lesson! Crucio!"

She squeezed her lids shut, the pain came without warning, how she despised pain! Her small body fell to the ground. She wouldn't scream! She wouldn't!

The pain intensified then stopped as it had come, her eyes shot open to meet the lifeless eyes of him. She was suddenly yanked up and the ground was gone, she couldn't breathe! Then her feet made contact with the ground so forcefully she would've fell, but the strong hand was still gripping her.

She then was draged and thrown merilessly on the ground.

She groaned and looked up, seeing something impossible! A man he looked like...like...a...a...snake! She quickly stood up, the curls bouncing ever so smoothly. She took a step backwards, her body was so tense and her skin crawled at his rasping voice.

"This is the one, is it Draco?"

"Yes, my lord."

Her head snapped in his direction, such a name seemed to fit him. Such coldness, she shivered, but then something happened. A sudden prescence, she relaxed, something she could sense...feel...she was safe, secure? The thought seemed strange, so foreign to her, but her body relaxed so much that she slumped down to the cold stone floor.

Her hands were holding her up with her knees on each side of her arms, her muddied clothes dripping the wet mud unto the ground, her head bowed with eyes closed. There she heard it, her eyes snapped open, it was slithering.

She slowly lifted her head.

"Massster, sshe issss one, did you not ssee how sshe relaxed? Can you not ssee her confussssion?"

The snake was big, nay, humungous!

The snake slithered over to the girl asking "What issss wrong, child?"

As the snake got closer, she tentavily held out her hand and felt the hard scales, picked up the snake, she folded her legs and held the snake with both her hands.

"Are you not afraid?"

"Mnht." her face saddened as the snake slowly wrapped around her body, the tail around her waist, ending with some soft curls under and over the snake as the head cmae around to face her.

"Why no ansswer?"

She looked down, avoiding the gaze and answered, "You're a ssnake, you sshouldn't be sspeaking."

"Hnhn..in that persssspective, you sshouldn't be able to sspeak back."

"Uhgh." she looked up.

"Look around you..."

She did.

"Ssee the fear? You are one of almost insstinct few who can ssspeak to any of my kin. My massssster iss one, jusst like you. The gift isss called parssseltongue."

"Parssseltongue, if I've had thissss gift all along, how come now it decidesss to come out?"

"Well..,"

"Nagini, later."

They both looked up at the Dark Lord.

"Yessss, masssster." Nagini slowly detached herself from the girl.

"What's your name?"

She knew it wasn't a question, but a threat and standing back up, licked her lips and answered in a...stronger? voice.

"Vivian Thera Riddle."

A collective of gasps rant the room.

"Impossible!" shreiked a hooded woman. "My Lord, she lies, the girl lies! How dare she!" the woman continued shreiking, taking off her hood, revealing long black hari and a fair face.

"But, I wasn't lieing." Vivian softly said.

Draco noticied how she said it, like she knew it would fall on deaf ears.

"More lies! You're nothing but a filthy muggle!"

The same sad/bitter smile fluttered across her lips. A sudden 'hiss' followed by slithering changed her attention "No, Nagini!" she said and grabbed the snake before anything else. "No." she murmured.

"But, misssstresss, sshe inssulted you!"

Vivian's eyes widened in surprise, but that smile yet again.

"Don't worry, Nagini, sshe wassn't the firssst, and won't be the lasst."

Nagini seemed to want to say somehting, but Vivian beat her to it.

"It'ss no usse, Nagini. No matter what, if you got rid of her, then ten would take her place, then after them twenty'd replace thosse ten. That'ss the cycle, it'll alwaysss be sso."

"My Lord?" the woman shouted.

"Bell, settle down and don't call Vivian a muggle."

"But...but...she is!"

"Nagini dosen't seem to agree." Voldemort said, his eyes flickingto Nagini latched back around Vivian.

"Draco, I leave you in charge of her."

"Yes, my Lord." Draco said with a swift bow.

The entire time his eyes had been on her, he couldn't help but think how natural it was with Nagini around her and if she wasn't so damned timid, kind, caring, hell, even hesitante!

He went back over to her and grabbed her wrist, then disapparted ot the Malfoy Mansion.

She gratefully gulped down some air and looked up at him.

"P-please don't do that anymore."

He smirked.

"What the bloody hell's the meaning of this boy!"

"Lucius, stop calling a boy, he's a young man! Dear Lord, look at you! And who's this? She's in worst shape than you! Come along. Dear Lord! Is that!"

"Yes."

Vivians eyes were wide.

1. This place was huge!

2. She was being fussed and worried about!

"Nagini." she said, taking a few steps backward.

"It'ss okay misssstresss."

"Why do you call me that?"

"My Lord!"

Vivian's head snapped back to the trio of blonds, her hands were shaking horribly, so she took Nagini's tail and ran her hands along the hard, yet smoot scales.

"Mother, Father, this is Vivian Riddle."

"What/But did/how you/could just/this say/be?"

"I'll explain later."

Draco looked over at her and with a little nod of his head, signalled for her to follow him.

Vivian sighed as the hot water caressed her body. Nagini was curled in a corner of the bathroom.

"Misssstressss is pleasssssed?"

"Yesss. Nagini you sstill haven't told me why you call me that."

"No, I haven't, but you'll learn sssoon enough."

"Here, dear, these are some new robes and Lord!" Narcissa's face got paler than it already was. Vivian looked down and realized what made Narcissa stop. It wasn't her body, but what was on her body. Vivian had all kinds of cuts, bruises, gashes and anything else. The worst was two deep gashes that went between her breast with another starting above her right and went clear down to her left, ending under it. She tried to hide her body with water as quickly as possible, but to no avail. What's done was done, the damage hung there, just above her head.

Narcissa quickly put the clothes down and ran over to Vivian. Sittingy on the tub's side, quickly gathered the younger woman into her arms as her eyes fill with unshed tears.

"No, no, it's okay, everything's fine. Sshh." Narcissa murmured, comforting her.

"If you want, we can heal those." At htat Vivian looked up.

"We can, besides the Dark Lord, Draco could easily heal you, but...I can understand if you don't..."

"No." Vivian answered. "I want them all gone, all the scars! I...don't want...to...remember." Tears streamed down her beautiful face, her eyes were...Narcissa wasn't sure, but she just nodded and snapped her fingers, a house elf appeared.

"Get Draco and bring him here."

"Yes, mistress." with a pop he was gone.

"What do you want, Mother?" Draco asked her outside the lavitory.

"You'll see when you get in there." Narcissa answered.

Sighing Draco walkedin, he shut the door as quietly as possible. He turned to face Vivian, just like his mother, he froze at the sight. Her body was...perfect, it was just marred, and horribly so.

She looked up at him and gulped.

Draco didn't pay any attention to her body except waht he was healing.

Vivian was surprised he didn't do what the others did to her. His hand were gentle and smooth as he ran his hands over the heald par everytime, not caring where it was.

Then he fianlly got the last gashes healed. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes and all she could manage was a small, barely hearaable. "Thank you."

Draco gave that famous trademark smirk and left.

Some days later...

The four were eating breakfast. It was a bit uncomfortable, and Vivian had not idea why that was until Narcissa said, "I thin kwe should bring her to Ollivanders and see if she qualifies for a want."

Lucius had answered, "The Dark Lord hasn't given any so so, woman, so drop it!" that started a glaring contest between the two. Vivian looked at Draco, who just looked bored as hell.

An owl suddenly came and dropped an envelope in front of a stunned Vivian.

"Go on, dear open it." Narcissa urged her.

Picking up the envelope she read:

Miss Riddle

Guest room Malfoy Mansion

She blinked, "Um, how do they know?"

"That's still a mistery, go on, open it." Narcissa urged yet again.

Vivian found what any Hogwarts student received. She read it, tehn the list when another owl swooped down to Draco. He took off the scroll, and read it.

"Well, boy?"

Draco smirked, "The Dark Lord wants her to attend Hogwarts, he says he requests it."

"Well that settles it! Dear, come along with me, we'll find you something appropriate to wear."

"Vivian," Draco said, she turned "What grade are you in?"

"Fifth." she answered, Draco nodded, he thought so. He got up and went to get dressed himself.

Diagon Alley...

"First and most important, Ollivander's wands, I'll be getting the other things such as books, and supplies. Draco'll be with you." with that Narcissa was gone.

_Please review and tell me what you think of the story. Thanks!_


	2. Diagon Alley

Draco looked down at Vivian. She was nevous without Nagini, with her.

"C'mon." he muttered, grabbing her wrist and pulling her through the crowd of Diagon Alley to Ollivander's.

There was so much to see. Looking around she saw a display of brooms where a lot of wizards and witches were crowded.

"Um, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked tentavley.

He stopped and turned "what?"

"Do you really fly on broomsticks?"

He raised an eyebrow and answered, "Mostly for sports."

"True." Draco was glaring past her. She turned her head and saw a man about the same age and height as Draco, only entirely different. He had unruly black hair and emerald eyes with a lightning bolt on his forehead.

"Potter." Draco spat.

"Malfoy." Harry replied.

Vivian was a bit confused, who was he? She shifted a bit uncomfortably as he turned his gaze on her. Draco felt her trembling.

"Potter we have things to do. If you have to say something, then do so." Malfoy's voice was like acid.

Vivian was biting on her lip, his grip tightened, but she didn't say anything. She had learned not to.

"By all means, don't let me stop you, like I did your father."

As their glare intensified, Potter said to Vivian. "My name's Harry Potter, remember it."

"Potter." Draco said, releasing Vivian and taking a step foreward. "You know I don't take well to threats."

Vivian sensed trouble. Big trouble. She slowly grabbed his sleeve and gently pulled. Draco glanced down at her, then glared back at Harry.

"Like I said I have other things to do instead of dilly-daddlying." with that he re-grabbed Vivian's wrist and turned.

"How's your father doing? Why don't you give him my regards."

Draco stopped. Vivian grabbed his sleeve again, she didn't meet his gaze at first but then looked up and told him, softly. "Ig-Ignore him."

He took a steady breath and started toward Ollivanders.

Draco sighed when they were outside Ollivander's. It seemed like hours before the old fool found Vivian a wand. It was eleven-inch hickory with dragon heart-string.

"Now what?" Vivian asked.

"Robes." he muttered leading her towards Madum Malkins.

They entered and a woman said, "I'll be with you in a second."

A while later the woman ushered Vivian away to get her measurements and to fit her. A little while she came back with a bundle in her arms. Draco took the bundle and told Maum Malkin." She needs 2 dress robes, 5 everyday robes, 2 winter, spring, fall, and summer robes, 3 house robes, 1 night robe, 2 evening and dining robes and extra, any she chooses."

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. Do you wish to choose the colors?"

"No, let her choose, I'll be back a hour later."

"Yes, sir. Come on." Malkin said to Vivian, who had very wide eyes.

A hour later...

"You have everything." Draco said.

"Yes, I do." Vivian ansered, looking up at him, her arms full of bags."

"Then, let's get one more thing and get back." Draco said while taking some of the bundles from her.

"But, don't we need books an..." before she finished, Draco cut in.

"That's what mother was getting, all the supplies."

"Oh." Vivian uttered with downcast eyes. She followed him to the pet shop.

As sooon as they entered Vivian felt a familiar calmness. Draco and the shopkeeper started talking, but Vivian wasn't paying attention.

She walked over to a corner which held snakes. All kinds. She starred at them and slowly lowered her bags onto the ground.

Draco finished talking and said, "C'mon Vivian." he turned around and blinked. "Vivian?" he looked around and found her, talking to the snakes. He walked over to her.

Vivian heard someone approaching and looked up at Draco. She gave an embarassed smile.

Draco considered for a second, lookign at the snakes, he asked, "Do you want one?"

He watched her eyes widen and her mouth came open in an objective shape. Draco put a finger on her lips, silencing her.

"Do you want one or not?"

She nodded 'yes'.

Draco removed his finger and called the keeper over.

"We'll buy a snake, also."

"Sure. Which one?" the woman asked.

Vivian looked at them and approached a cage, opened the door and put her hand in.

"NO! DON'T!" The keeper shouted then blinked. "Huh? Amazing." she muttered.

Vivian had picked a male named Konten. He was a black snake with dark eyes. "How much?" Vivian asked as Konten slithered up her arm around her neck and rested there. He wasn't nearly as big as Nagini, but he was as long as both her arms together.

The woman just starred. "Free, you can have it for free. Now, how 'bout that owl?" she said walking to a different part of the store.

Vivian blinked, "Owl?"

Draco sighed and told her the rules and part of the history. "Now, just pick one." he was getting impatiant.

"Okay." and Vivian did, she picked a beautiful black one, a cage and food for both her animals.

Draco payed and helped her carry some bags and floo'ed back to the Mansion.


	3. Gringotts

"Why are we back at Diagon Alley?" Vivian asked.

Draco gave an irritated sigh with the word "Gringotts."

"Grin-gotts?" she slowly repeated.

"A bank." he added, knowing she'd ask.

"Oh."

Then her emerald eyes widened. "But...I..don't have any money." She quickly got out.

Sighing, Draco took her aside. He already had a grip on her waist.

"We're opening an account under your name and giving you some to keep and add to." He stated, this girl was..he didn't know.

She let the words register before her eyes grew wide once more. "But..I...you.." Biting her lip and shaking her head she looked back up at him.

"Why are you doing all this for me?"

The blonde inhaled deeply then slowly exhaled while running a rand through his gelled hair, and answered. "The Dark Lord."

"Then..why is he doing this?" she sounded almost desperate.

While gritting his teeth, he grabbed her shoulders and bent down enough to look at her eyes.

"That first night. We all were taken by surprise because your last name is the same as his."

She blinked "Riddle?"

Draco nodded before straightening and releasing her small, narrow shoulders.

"Then, tht would make me his...relative?" She softly questionmed.

"That's what he's trying to figure out." he replied.

"What happens if...I'm not?" Her unfocused gaze was directed towards the ground.

The bustling crowd went by, oblivious to everything but themselves. They didn't notice the two awkward couple standing in an alley. Both were silent, Draco wasn't sure how to answer and Vivian became closed off. She had gotten used to bad news since she was born, expecially the physical kind.

Out of nowhere a pugfaced woman suddenly lutched herself to the young man's arm.

"Draco! Draco, dear, I haven't seen you for days! Where have you been?! Couldn't you have at least called me?!" Finally taking notice of Vivian, she gave the teen a disdannful look. "And who is this?"

Malice, Envy, Hate. Emotions Vivian was used to, nothing new.

"This is Vivian Riddle and this is Pansy Parkinson." Draco introduced.

"So, she's the one everyone is talking about. I don't see why, she's obviously not much to even look at!" Pansy snarled, trying to get some kind of rise out of the victim.

"Pansy," Draco untangled her arms and hands for himself "we have things to do."

"What do you mean 'things to do'." The pugfaced woman wailed.

Draco grabbed Vivian's forearm as his jaw tightened.

"Exactly what I said." He replied as calmly as he could and stalked away into the crowd, dragging Vivian with him.

"You don't like her?" Vivian hesitantly questioned.

"No, but it makes no difference. We've been promised betrothed." He had stopped walking to look back. "We don't have a damn say in the matter."

Vivian looked away. "I'm sorry."

"Aww. How sweet." Someone new to the redhead came up. He, too, was a redhead and tall, but gangley with who knows how many freckles.

"Weasel." Malfoy greeted coldy.

"Ferret." The other retorted.

"Well, well, if it isn't mudblood and scarhead."

Vivian saw the one called Harry Potter, but he also had a woman with him. She had bushy hair that she had somehow gotten under control with oney warm eyes. But there was something else bothering her and asked tentaviely.

"Umn...aren't ferrets and weasels related?"

They all lost their train of thought and broke off the insulting to stare openly at her. The woman started to go into hysteries, but quickly covered her mouth with a hand.

Vivian uncomfortably sidled behind Draco, only to peek around his arm like a shy child hides behind their mother.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake! We're all adults, so how about we act like it?" The bushy-haired female exclaimed, then introduced herself to Vivian.

"I'm Hermione Granger, this is Ron Weasley and Harry Potter."

Vivian glanced up at Draco, who gave an irritated sigh before answering.

"Vivian Riddle." she said quietly watching Harry twitch.

"Did you say 'Riddle'?"

"What of it, Potter?"

Steel grey exchanged a glare with emerald.

Vivian bit on her inside mouth and once again gave a tug on Malfoy's sleeve to remind him they were doing something.

Potter smiled evilly "At least someone is keeping you Malfoys on a short leash."

"Harry!" Hermione hissed with a glare, but not nearly as fierce as the blonde's.

"Would you like to repeat that?" Draco spat venomously.

"Gladly." Harry acidicly replied.

This felt like deju vu to Vivian so she gave another tug on his sleeve just as Hermione helped Ron pull Harry away. The last thing they needed was duel right in the middle of Diagon Alley.

Vivian was looking up at the ex-Slytherin. "Um, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Draco." He curtly responded.

She was giving him a blank, confused stare.

"Call me Draco. Not 'Mister' not 'Malfoy' or those together." He answered the questioning look of her eyes.

"O-Okay." she replied gently, looking again at the ground. "Draco."

He found him self staring down at her, then quickly turned and headed back towards the wizard bank. He was listening for her small, timid steps but upon not hearing them, his eyes narrowed and he looked back at her. He saw she was standing exactly where he had left her. Going back he asked a big harshly "What's the problem now?"

"I-I..uh...nngh." She didn't know how to say what she wanted and was becoming even more nervous. "I-it's...just...I...just."

"Just what?" He ground out, straining to stay calm.

"Just...that.." Her head loweredfor a moment, then she was looking back up at him. Those emeralds of ehrs were pleading patience and understanding and helplessness.

Then it suddenly hit Draco Malfoy like a ton of bricks and sighing, he grabbed ehr waist and led her through the crowd to Gringotts.

When they entered the bank, Vivian could do nothing but stare. She knew she was being rude, but this seemed unnatural. Draco cleared his throat and gave her a light nudge. Which made her not only apoligize but shift closer to his person.

"What...are they?" she questioned uneasily in a whisper.

"Goblins. Stop staring, they're not the politest." He answered quietly as they approached the one in head.

"I'd like to open a bank account for Miss Vivian Riddle." He said as he pulled her to the front.

As the small beast wrote down the name he questioned. "The amount?"

"Thirty thousand galleons that will be withdrawn from my account anddeposited into hers."

Vivian's mouth agape and her eyes had widened while looking at the blonde with disbelief.

"Very well, Mr. Malfoy. She will be bault number 656, 766." The goblin handed Vivian a slip of paper and asked. "Would you also like a withdrawl?"

"Ohhh..." She glance at Draco. "Would...I?"

He gave a small sigh and replied "It's your account."

She looked back and shook her head "N-No Sir, I don't think so, not..now."

Mr Goblin nodded and dismissed them.

Vivian glanced at the slip of paper and found her vault number on it.

"Is this...everything.?" She asked Malfoy.

"For now. C'mon." He muttered as he wwrapped an arm around her waist.

She knew what was coming so she closed her eyes and held her breath.

They apparated back to Malfoy Mansion.


End file.
